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"A FAMILY HEIRLOOM," John B states as he drives the old van. Kiara is seated shotgun, watching John B intently. They haven't left each other's side since this morning at the chicken coup. Pope is seated right behind Kiara, dangling the compass by its chain, while JJ is seated behind John B. Martha is sitting next to him, her legs are over JJ's lap, resting them over his thighs. His right hand is on her exposed legs, stroking the skin softly in a calming motion, as his left hand plays with sections of his hair.
"I mean, what better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?"
Kiara hesitates for a moment but keeps indulging him in this fantasy, "yeah. It's possible."
"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels?" Pope asks harshly. Kiara turns around with a 'what the fuck?' look as John B shakes his head.
"Yeah, why don't we just go to my mother, and she could help explain"—
—"I'm not concocting, okay?" John B interrupts Marty. "My dad's trying to give me a message."
"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels," JJ mutters, looking down and winking at Martha. "Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it."
"If it helps you believe, John B," Kiara continues, trying to be sympathetic but it comes off insensitive.
"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? Look, I'm not trippin' out."
"It's okay to trip, bro, but"—
"Look, my—my dad is missing, okay?" He yells, turning his head to confirm, but no one does. Marty bites her lip, trying to contain her flinch from the sharp yell, but JJ sees it. He squeezes her thigh, trying to distract her.
"He's missing. End of story. You guys don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish, and then have no idea what happened." His voice cracks as he tries to hold up a strong stance. "Just wake up every morning wondering."
"It's been almost a year."
John B looks at Kie, his eyes glossy and his lip quivering at the slightest.
"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ brings up, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere," Pope adds.
"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis," JJ jokes, bringing out a soft giggle from Marty. His eyes light up at her harmonious laughter.
"JJ," Kiara deadpans, "look, what do you think the message is?"
"Redfield."
"Which is why we should be going back to my place, instead of... wait, where are we going?"
